Is this apartment design something that is replicatable or a showcase tool for the products displayed? I think the apartment is a great idea but at what cost? A $4,000 table is a lot but being minimalist reduces the number of furniture items so overall can this design be cost effective.

hi steve,
the apartment is far more prototype/experiment/showcase, though we see many elements as applicable to replicable models. in terms of the expense of certain elements, a certain amount of new math needs to be applied. we throw out the idea that a $4k table might eliminate the need for a 200 sq ft dining room. that said, we are always on the lookout for ways of doing this for any budget.
david

Really love the concepts here. What was the cost of doing this refit? What would you do differently (if anything) next time… now that you have had a chance to live in the place?

lifeedited

costs were about $250k-300k for full gut renovation. it’s hard to say what we’d do different. most of it would have been stuff you can’t see like a particular efficiency measure that didn’t improve efficiency enough to justify time and expense.

there were a number of issues with the cabinetry; e.g. 8’+ wood cabinet doors bow so we had to put in aluminum reinforcements. there were a number of things like that which were impossible to predict, yet caused significant effort and money to resolve. when you have such a small space, there’s little margin for error. doing it on a large scale would allow us to systematize and make things much better and cheaper.

Jenny

That seems like a lot of money for such a small space. I’m hoping to find ways that someone who is more averagely funded could afford.

Ikeingrmi

As the ‘economics’ of the project, I would suggest that if rents were +/- $2,750 a month that the deal would pay.

Bobbi

Where does one purchase the bunk bed unit on the guest room wall? It’s fabulous? How wide is it when closed? Thanks.

Mayor Bloomberg is a great advocate of micro concepts. Are you getting good vibes from other cities or are they standing by prohibitive zoning?

lifeedited

it’s mixed from city to city. there’s definitely some backlash in places, notably san fran and seattle. there are numerous other cities using the micro-concept such as vancouver, boston, dc, chicago, providence ri and a few others. i think it’s going to take people a little time to get used to the format–until it’s a normal part of the urban landscape–but it will happen.

Steve Stearns

LE1 is an amazing and inspiring laboratory, product showcase, and home. There are so many unique combinations of materials, products and furnishings, that I have never seen or considered before. LE1 is definitely an inspiration to get individuals to think different about their personal environments. There are so many things that I could call out that I had never considered before. One example is the (3) portable induction burners and combination microwave/ convection oven, rather than the standard 30-inch range/ oven. What a space saver all around. I can’t wait to see what LE2 highlights.

di

Be sure to read negative reviews of these appliances…

Bill

what is the dimension of the main room from wall to wall? back of bunk beds to back of wall with regular bed? also, where can the couch and queen bed be purchased? going to give this a shot!!

Lifeedited team, are you aware of this architect in Hong Kong who build homes in a similar fashion. Take a look at this great video!
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Do you have a how to guide?? To try to implement it by my own? Do you sell the furniture???

Victoria Kent

Resource Furniture sells that in NYC and someone else in CT. If you look up Clei furniture. It’s like $5000-$20,000 each so you think the bunk bed, the couch/wall unit, the table alone are close to $50,000. I’m hacking an Airstream rehab right now, and hacking together similar functioning (less engineered) units and the cap on the project is targeted to $10,000 at a third of the space. You can do things on the budget, but they will not be as smooth functioning as Italian engineered and designed units. Ikea stuff is great for hacking and forgiving of mistakes.

Peter Middleton

I’d like to see a CNC ply wood version with no fasteners *drool*..

Then you could make them to order

Susan

I like this a lot, its so well thought out, and initially, very inviting. But I wonder how long I could live there before the starkness started to drive me crazy…

Just a few practical questions… First, the big bowls, who was the manufacturer and can you supply more information? Second, I noticed inside the kitchen cabinets there are lots of very small glass glasses or perhaps clear glass ramekins? More info in how the kitchen is working for you would really be appreciated. Third, housekeeping: where is the laundry/washer and dryer? where do you put dirty clothes? where’s the vacuum, the mop, linens, the trash bags? where are your groceries like cereal and pasta? Thank you for sharing this innovative idea. The reason I’m asking is because I’ve decided to simplify my home. So having the practical along with the beautiful pictoral inspiration is valuable to me. Thank you.

David Friedlander

the bowls are the arzburg tric flat soup plate. they’re sorta difficult to get in the us. the glasses are a discontinued model by crate and barrel–they were 99 cents each. there are a couple nooks used for a hamper, but all laundry is taken to a cleaner downstairs. sometimes the edited life means outsourcing 😉

Stevearch

Are there any 3d models of this apartment?

Chris

Looks great! What material are the cabinets? Plastic-laminate? Thanks

Genevieve

I have a question about the recessed drapery tracks. Are the motorized? If so, they have the large motor at the end right? Is it difficult to drywall all the way up to the track so there is no gap?

Salman Thalib

what is the dimension of this apartment? is it 20ft X 21 ft?

Claudia Russo

Hello, i work for Tourism Hospitality in Sicily, I manage many different villas with pool in Nebrodi park, and I have some project for my villas: it is a sort of restyling, I want to change the concept of staying, i like your minimalism style, how can I have a consulence from you to make my spaces more efficiently?
Here my Facebook address and email. Please contact me